Obama's push for immigration reform revives old rivalries

Immigration reform revives rivalries

Hours after the White House recently announced it planned to push for immigration reform this year, talking heads on opposing sides of the illegal immigration debate were already bracing for battle.

Conservative commentator Pat Buchanan appeared on MSNBC this month and predicted “a bloodbath” if President Barack Obama pushes for a legalization program for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. while the nation’s unemployment rate soars.

Immigrant advocates quickly issued statements supporting Obama’s decision to make good on a campaign promise to back comprehensive immigration reform, which was derailed in 2007.

Organizations on both sides of the issue are preparing for what is expected to be a protracted debate over how to overhaul the nation’s immigration system. The pro-immigrant side promises an “unprecedented national mobilization,” while opponents pledge a groundswell of opposition that would allow them to repeat the defeat of 2007.

Those in support

Immigrant advocates are laying the groundwork for pro-reform rallies in major U.S. cities, including Houston, scheduled for May 1.

Experts predicted two issues to be the deciding factors for immigration reform: “amnesty” and the ailing economy.

Obama has been clear he supports reform that offers a path toward citizenship for illegal immigrants. The political climate has changed dramatically since the defeat of the 2007 reform bid, giving hope to immigrant advocates that Obama’s sway will help overcome the stigma of an “amnesty,” despite the nation’s economic woes.

Angela Kelley, the vice president for immigration policy for the Center for American Progress, a Washington D.C. progressive think tank, said November 2008 election results were “a game changer” for immigration reform, citing Latino voter turnout in key states.

Kelley said there also has been a “tremendous growth” in the immigrant advocacy community, she said, particularly among religious leaders.

Luis Gutierrez, a congressman from Chicago, has visited at least 18 cities across the country in recent months to build momentum for reform.

Those in opposition

Roy Beck, the founder and CEO of Numbers USA, a group that helped fuel the anti-amnesty movement of 2007, said he doesn’t see any change in his opposition’s strength or strategy.

“The only thing that’s different is that last time we had to mobilize the grass roots when the economy was booming,” Beck said. “This time, we’re going to be mobilizing the grass roots … with 13 million Americans unemployed.”

The group’s Web site has a feature called an “Action Buffet,” where registered users can log in to send form letters directly to the White House over the Internet to express their displeasure about the proposal.

In June 2007, at the peak of the anti-amnesty battle, Numbers USA had about 300,000 registered members, Beck said, and has since grown to 900,000.

Immigration experts said the economy most likely will override any push for reform in 2009, even from Obama.

“People are going to ask if this is the time to open the door to immigrants, to legalize millions when U.S. workers are losing their jobs,” said Nestor Rodriguez, a sociology professor at the University of Texas.

For Nancy and Pedro Uresti, an undocumented couple living in Trinity, immigration reform most likely will come too late. Pedro Uresti was ordered to leave the country by an immigration judge in early April and must return to Mexico or file an appeal within 30 days.

The Urestis have lived in the United States for more than 18 years and have four U.S.-born children. Nancy Uresti, 32, said she wishes Congress would create a legalization program, although the family is adjusting to the idea of moving to Mexico.

“We’re just going to see what happens, and hope for the best,” she said.